The past several weeks for Ukrainian Latter-day Saint Irina Rudenko have been defined largely by fear, displacement, and separation from loved ones. Those emotions are not likely to go away anytime soon.
But Sunday, April 10, offered a few hours of light and hope for Rudenko, her family and dozens of other Latter-day Saint refugees from Ukraine. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and himself a two-time refugee, presided over a devotional for Ukrainian refugees who have found temporary refuge in Poland.
Spending the Sabbath day with Elder Uchtdorf, and his wife, Sister Harriet R. Uchtdorf, made for an unforgettable day of rest for many of the Ukrainian Latter-day Saints.
“I feel today like God loves us,” Rudenko told the Church News following the devotional. “Today I felt like God opened his windows to bless us, the Ukrainian people. We were in Church, and we didn’t feel sad.”
Read the full story on Church News here.
You can also see a Church Newsroom video highlighting Elder Uchtdorf’s visit to Poland in the player below.
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